Justice News

Former Healthcare Executive Convicted Of Embezzling Over $200,000 From Non-Profit Organization

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced the conviction of TRAVIS TEMPLET, age 36, of Gonzales, Louisiana, who pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge John W. DeGravelles to engaging in a wire fraud scheme to defraud a non-profit health care organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. The defendant faces imprisonment and substantial fines, restitution orders, and forfeiture orders. The sentencing date has not yet been set.

In 2008, the defendant began working as the controller for a non-profit organization headquartered in Baton Rouge that manages nursing homes throughout Louisiana and Arkansas. During today’s hearing, the defendant admitted to using his position as controller to steal more than $208,307 from the organization from 2011 through 2014. He admitted doing so by writing approximately 67 fraudulent checks to himself from the organization’s account. To conceal the fraud, the defendant admitted that he altered the organization’s accounting records and software. He ultimately deposited the proceeds of his fraud into one of his personal accounts.

U.S. Attorney Green stated, “Fraud schemes perpetrated by insiders, particularly those entrusted with an organization’s finances, pose a serious threat to all organizations and, by extension, their employees. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue such matters, along with our federal, state, and local partners. Once identified, these fraudsters must not be allowed to simply move to their next victim employer. Employers and law enforcement must work together to stop them. I applaud the victim organization for uncovering the fraud and assisting in this important matter.”

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Office of the United States Secret Service, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill.